Unexpected Blessings Dotting the Islands

On Sunday, we sang "Little Village Church" (Little Brown Church in the Wildwood) in Japanese, remembering God's raising of the first few churches in Okinawa. Brian was then asked to share with the Gushikawa Baptist Church believers--many of them finding themselves teary-eyed listening to Sherri's glowing testimony of their son.

An unexpected visitor that week was Rumiko, a second cousin who came when she heard my sisters and the Waala siblings (she knew us from high school) were coming. During our fellowship session afterwards, she shared her testimony too.

When it was discovered I'd never been to the outer islands, Brian and Sherri invited me to come along; I jumped at the chance. Here are a few drawings from those few days. When we got off a ferry at a small island called Taketomi, we had to request a shuttle bus. The elderly driver responding to the call had known Missionary Russel Waala, and his heart leaped when he heard the name; he took us to his family lodging and his friend's eatery; drove us to a believer's grave; took care of all transportation while we were on the island. Ohama-san's two sisters are believers, but he still hasn't found Christ. Please pray He find Jesus to be His Big Brother soon.

Brian and Sherri let me stay with them for 2 more days on the island of Ishigaki. We went to a fish shop and immediately recognized family members of people Brian had grown up with. The person shown speaking to Brian on cellphone in yesterday's post took us out to eat then treated us to a glass-bottom boat on which we were flabbergasted to see a deep-sea turtle on the reef altho' it was low tide. Thank You, Father! 

Would a vestige of the old house still be there, we wondered, and went to the place where Brian's first home used to be. The person who seemed to be a gardener outside turned out to be a person who loved and had bought the property from his dad when asked to keep it going. That night, we had dinner with a friend of mine, not realizing God's number one reason for having us meet was the absolute encouragement her husband would be. In some ways, he and Brian acted as bright and free as young boys.

That night, we talked of how sometimes God blesses us but treats us like trained dogs who have potato chips placed on their noses. The master no doubt gives treats, but the dogs don't dare gobble them up until given the ok. All these ways God worked the past few days, we mused, are like yummy potato chips which we are to ponder in our hearts as Mary did until He gives the ok to fully enjoy them. I wonder when and how that will come.

MORE WITH BRIAN

Wow. Brian's older sister Sharon came to Okinawa too, and his younger sister Brenda joined in one night for an online pow wow--nothing like reminiscing like this. One night that week, Sharon decided to treat all of us to a meal out, where we cooked our own thin slivers of meat on a small grill on the table. It's called "Yakiniku", and I noticed a good deal of the customers of that Japanese-style meal restaurant were foreigners!

It wasn't just food and laughs; as MK's, we prayed together for another MK mother (whose parents are missionaries in Japan), one has been afflicted with cancer. We sang and videotaped "Jesus Loves Me" in both English and Japanese in harmony and sent it to her, hoping she would be encouraged to know our Loving Big Brother is with us in every single moment of our suffering.

Brian and his wife Sherri had borne testimony to the comfort of that Big Brother. They took the ashes of their deceased son Aaron to the church tomb the next day. Aaron never used the word "die" when referring to his own demise but said he would "fly to heaven." So the telecommunications tower that stood in the background, Brian and Sherri must've mused, only pointed to Aaron's new abode.

Oh--the pillar-like thing in the drawing? That evening, to celebrate Sherri's birthday, Brian took everyone to a nearby restaurant, and now the waiter bringing out dishes is a robot. At least it never spills the food or gets the orders mixed up.

Special Time with "my brother"

I always wanted a brother, and Brian Waala, child of missionaries Russel and Lois, my parents' co-workers, was the closest I ever had to a brother growing up. Last week, he and his wife Sherri, who are visiting Okinawa after over 30 years, invited me along on their overnight trip to the northernmost tip of the island. 

After getting back, I made a sketch of them posing at Hedo Point (where they took the ashes of their oldest deceased son). A black monarch butterfly graced the special time too, so that was included in the drawing, along with the Yambaru Kuina bird we saw often as well as the crab Sherri found on our walk on the beach.

We did notice the large sign above the receptionist counter read "Haisai," the familiar Okinawan greeting, so that too was drawn into the memorial sketch as well as the billiard table on which the receptionist and Sherri played a game of 8-ball and the ping pong table on which Brian played some table tennis with another young man from Germany.

There just wasn't room to draw the cafeterias showing the Okinawan food we enjoyed or professional baseball team we got to see in training.... It was just one day, but what a full, rich time it was.

Brian and Sherri have already invited me to come along to visit the outer islands where he grew up. We take off tomorrow, and I plan to stay with them about 3 days. What a promising start we've already seen. Thank you so much, Lord!